Author
Topic: Why did you decided to buy NEW instead of pre-owned? (Read 1980 times)

Seems that the vast majority of people I have conversations with about a motorhome purchase say buying used is the way to go. These same people state the obvious to support their thinking which mainly has to do with the financial considerations. "Drive it off the lot and BANG there's $xxxx down the drain". As well as "you get the advantage of a unit that's already broken in with the 'kinks' worked out and perhaps some upgrades installed". Well-- perhaps true on both counts but there's still a heck of a lot of new motorhomes being sold these days so those factors are not deal breakers for those buyers.

I guess if one has no financial constraints then new is a no-brainer. But obviously even with the immediate depreciation factor that's not enough to dissuade many. Strangely there's a video out there titled something like "5 reasons not to buy..." in which the author expresses SHOCK that his new purchase depreciated immediately! Uh... really? I guess he never bought an automobile before either.

Are there some warranty issues that favor buying new from a dealer? Better dealer service or a wider network of support if you buy new vs used?

Not a new topic by any means of course but I'd be Interested to hear other people's thoughts as to why they went ahead and bought new vs. used (even if it ends up costing us much more $$$!).

Logged

Wandering in our 2012 Fleetwood Bounder 33C Class A

Oscar Mike

My reasoning for buying new I suppose stems from the fact that my father never owned a new car or new anything in his life. He wanted and even dreamt of owning a new Oldsmobile, alas it was never to be.

I buy new because I can, and I enjoy being the first end user, it sounds selfish I know. I began working at age 14, (1968) and stayed in the game until 2009, 41 years. I worked hard saved much of what I earned, and now in my retirement years I get to have fun and enjoy the fruits of my labor. I might die broke, but that was my plan all along anyway. I want to spend every nickell I have except the last nickell...everyone can fight over what's left.

God willing I will be able to enjoy my new coach for many years to come... at my age the coach will probably outlast me anyway.

Are there some warranty issues that favor buying new from a dealer? Better dealer service or a wider network of support if you buy new vs used?

There is generally no warranty with a used RV once you sign on the dotted line. Unless you buy one for what usually amounts to a few thousand dollars. Then it's the "exclusions" in the warranty you have to know about.

Some folks will only buy used, and I have no problem what so ever with that decision. I don't, and willingly accept the depreciation that comes with it. I can also take it in for warranty repairs for 12 months, no questions asked. I also have full drive train warranty for multiple years. Second and third owners may not.

Buying used can be a crap shoot. You may get a gently used treasure with all the bugs worked out, or it may be a lemon someone else dumped to get away from.

My main reason for buying new is that I am allergic to cigarette smoke and dogs. That eliminates a LOT of used RVs. Even if someone says an RV has never been smoked in or has had a dog in residence, I know from renting cars that not everyone tells the truth about such things.

Also, I have always bought new houses and enjoy being the first one to live in something--I know for sure it is clean when I move in other than some dust. Also, I did not want to end up with a vehicle that had hidden damage to either the coach part or the base vehicle it was built on.

And finally, I got a super deal on my new motorhome because it had been sitting on the dealer's lot for a few months. It is NOT always true that you lose a lot of money the minute you drive off a dealer lot. And in my case, I knew I would be living in mine full time, so it was going to be a long-term purchase, and I wanted to be able to choose the floorplan and options. Only problem I had was that it did come with some extras such as an indoor and outdoor sound system that I would not have chosen.

And by the way, I am very happy with the vehicle and floorplan I chose for my first RV.

My story was that we found a used one on a dealer lot that DW liked. It had low miles and was only 1 year old, maybe less. It was a 13 model and this would have been in June 2014. It looked perfect except she wanted the "leatherette" seats thinking they would be easier to clean spills with the kids....(mistake in hind site)

Anyway, we negotiated back and forth for the thing and I got them down as low as I could, even started having them throw in stuff when they stopped on the price....so I felt we were getting it for about as low as possible. We even put down a refundable deposit.

Well, I went online that night to do more research just to make sure I was getting a good enough deal. Found one on a dealer lot a few hours drive away. Also a 13 model but NEW...and it had the leatherette seats DW wanted. Was able to negotiate it down long distance for about the same as I was getting the used one for (can't remember the exact numbers, but it was very close)...pending seeing it of course.

The clean thing was a bonus!

My huge question at the time was if the warranty was worth it vs a used one that presumably had at least some of the bugs worked out.

Personally I wouldn't hesitate to buy used but I would do a very thorough inspection, knowing that it would still be a gamble.

Anyway, in hind site...I have wondered was that used one a lemon? I had lots of big issues with the new one, would I have had the same or were they already fixed on the used one?Would some of the fixes on that used on have been not up to what I would call acceptable? Was it well cared for? maybe the used on would have been a whole lot better compared to my lemon new one?

We have bought both new and used trailers in the past. I prefer new because I know what I am getting. We also know how to negotiate, so we never bought at anything close to MSRP. We are buying our first motorhome new, at a steep discount off MSRP, and it will be set up exactly as we want it. I do see the advantage of buying inexpensive and used for people who have never had any type of RV before. It is so hard to know what you will like without some experience.

Oscar Mike

I definitely did not pay close to the MSRP on my new coach, wayyyyyy below the advertised sale price too. But you gotta be careful negotiating and signing the final paperwork. Finance Managers are good at playing the shell game.

For DW, cleanliness. For me, knowing no one else has made some ridiculous cobble repair, added screws to the walls in places I don't want, ran over a picnic table while ripping the awning off, and ran it low on oil and or antifreeze to the point of almost smoking the engine. There can/will be problems but new always (I think anyway) has a factory warranty period to take care of those things.

The concept of "all the bugs will be worked out" when buying used doesn't really measure up for me. I am very handy and many of the little things I see people post about are only a minor adjustment that I just make myself (I have trust issues with people working on my stuff...incompetence abounds )

If you are only concerned with the cost of ownership, I think you're going to be way ahead buying used.

I know the question is why you bought new, rather than used but have a take on the reverse of your question. My wife and I decided to buy used for a number of reasons. We figured by buying used, if we didn't really like the RV'n life style we could sell and not loose so much money. You also don't loose the $$ you would loose if you sold your new RV due to depreciation if you didn't like it for some reason. Also most people don't get it right the first time they buy and again you loose $$ for not picking right the first time. You take a heck of a hit selling a almost new RV.

Then there are almost always a lot of trips back to the dealer to have repairs done to get things working right with new RV's. While my wife and I could have certainly bought new, we were looking for value by getting a used RV. I don't fault those who prefer buying new and they have offered a lot of good reasons. As with most things RV, you have to decide what is right for you ultimately.Best wishes!

Before I make my statement, I will tell you that for 2 years I traveled delivering new RV's for several companies across the US. They pay for the gas and you get to use the RV while traveling as long as you deliver it by a specified date. Works fairly well. That being said, I would NEVER own a new motor home! There was rarely a trip that something didn't go wrong with the motorhome and I had to sit and wait for them to send someone to fix it. Sometimes the problems were quite major. My advice, Let someone else work the "bugs" out of them and also save yourself the loss of equity the minute you drive off of the lot with it. I have passed this advice on to many people and have received many thanks. I've also had several who didn't listen come to me and say how sorry they didn't. It really doesn't make financial sense to buy new in my opinion.

We almost bought new. One thing to consider when needing warranty work, the major shop near me has a list for who gets in for service, starting with their own customers who bought from them. Those who bought used somewhere else go to the bottom of the list. Guess what that's like in the middle of summer. They are the only shop within hundreds of miles that can do all repairs including chassis work and has 40 service bays.In our case the previous owners did not work out all the bugs. Nothing major but it all adds up. Since we had very little in the way of service records we took the coach in and had the shop go through things and had everything serviced. After all is said and done we will have spent about $5k to have the coach serviced including any chassis work, a front end alignment.The new one we almost bought. Top of the line with all the bells and whistles, a new 2017 at about $200k off MSRP. Coach was at Freightliner when we looked at it, in for warranty work. Bad sign? Well at least it's getting fixed, we thought. Couldn't get a straight answer about why it was at Freightliner?? A bad sign? The floor plan was perfect and there were no smells of smoking or pets being new. After 2 months at Freightliner the coach is back at the dealer and ready for us to do the PDI. Three mirrors fall off on the short drive from Freightliner to the dealer. Not to worry, dealer says warranty will cover the repairs. HWH levelers don't work, fuel gauge not working, generator bay door won't close, two medallions fall off cabinetry after being touched. This went on for about an hour when we decided we didn't need the problems. Salesman says "no problem, the warranty will cover everything". Turns out the coach is back at Freightliner and the model has been discontinued, therefore getting parts in the future will be a nightmare. The three mirrors were on order to be made, there were no parts left in inventory for repairs when they discontinued the model. We got our deposit back and bought used with the thought that even if we put $50k in unforeseen repairs on the used coach, we would still be far under the cost of new.Would I buy new, yes I would, this time it just didn't work out. Yes the warranty would cover all the broken stuff, but the dealer was out of state, about 500 miles away. The shop near me would have put us at the bottom of the waiting list for repairs, even though they are a dealer for the brand we didn't buy.

Both TTs I have purchased, I got new. Like others have said, I want pet free, smoke free and clean. I store mine under shelter when not in use, so the roof has had very little exposure to sun/elements. I took a big hit on purchasing the first one, which I kept just over a year but it ended up being too small. I like my current TT nut want to upgrade to a fifth wheel toy hauler. I will definitely consider late model used on it, but only if I find the perfect unit.

Before I make my statement, I will tell you that for 2 years I traveled delivering new RV's for several companies across the US. They pay for the gas and you get to use the RV while traveling as long as you deliver it by a specified date. Works fairly well. That being said, I would NEVER own a new motor home! There was rarely a trip that something didn't go wrong with the motorhome and I had to sit and wait for them to send someone to fix it. Sometimes the problems were quite major. My advice, Let someone else work the "bugs" out of them and also save yourself the loss of equity the minute you drive off of the lot with it. I have passed this advice on to many people and have received many thanks. I've also had several who didn't listen come to me and say how sorry they didn't. It really doesn't make financial sense to buy new in my opinion.

sidetrack question...but I've always wondered if delivery drivers sleep in the coach, use the bathroom, etc....

Thanks for the input. I guess that in a sense all motorhomes are used given they've been driven-- sometimes quite a distance-- from the factory to the dealer. The first "shakedown" cruise so to speak. Some might even argue that this is the first "real" QC done after leaving the factory where QC standards at the factory in many cases seem to be substandard these days from what I'm reading here. But since so many units out of the factory have these issues, I think having the most apparent ones resolved before it goes on the showroom floor might actually work in a buyer's favor. Sheesh.. that sounds like something dealer would say doesn't it!

Obviously all those who expressed their reasons for buying new were aware of these kinds of considerations and as of now, in my situation I would have similar thoughts leaning me toward new vs. used. Obviously a decision that everyone has to make given their own set of circumstances.

Before I make my statement, I will tell you that for 2 years I traveled delivering new RV's for several companies across the US. They pay for the gas and you get to use the RV while traveling as long as you deliver it by a specified date. Works fairly well. That being said, I would NEVER own a new motor home! There was rarely a trip that something didn't go wrong with the motorhome and I had to sit and wait for them to send someone to fix it. Sometimes the problems were quite major. My advice, Let someone else work the "bugs" out of them and also save yourself the loss of equity the minute you drive off of the lot with it. I have passed this advice on to many people and have received many thanks. I've also had several who didn't listen come to me and say how sorry they didn't. It really doesn't make financial sense to buy new in my opinion.

That is a blanket statement that doesn't apply to all motor homes. All manufacturers produce various levels of RV's, and saying that rarely a trip was made when one didn't break down is really a stretch. I know for a fact no one EVER slept in mine but me. My dealer was 60 miles from the factory!

Seems that the vast majority of people I have conversations with about a motorhome purchase say buying used is the way to go. These same people state the obvious to support their thinking which mainly has to do with the financial considerations. "Drive it off the lot and BANG there's $xxxx down the drain". As well as "you get the advantage of a unit that's already broken in with the 'kinks' worked out and perhaps some upgrades installed". Well-- perhaps true on both counts but there's still a heck of a lot of new motorhomes being sold these days so those factors are not deal breakers for those buyers.

I guess if one has no financial constraints then new is a no-brainer. But obviously even with the immediate depreciation factor that's not enough to dissuade many. Strangely there's a video out there titled something like "5 reasons not to buy..." in which the author expresses SHOCK that his new purchase depreciated immediately! Uh... really? I guess he never bought an automobile before either.

Are there some warranty issues that favor buying new from a dealer? Better dealer service or a wider network of support if you buy new vs used?

Not a new topic by any means of course but I'd be Interested to hear other people's thoughts as to why they went ahead and bought new vs. used (even if it ends up costing us much more $$$!).

First let me say, thank God there are people with deep pockets who buy new so there are some nice used coaches out there. Please continue so there is a good supply of used coaches. One thing nobody brought up is you can buy more Rv used than you may be able to new. One big thing most newbies don't understand is there are several levels of quality between base entry level RV's and top tier manufactuers. There is a difference in amenities in most manufactuers different lines. Here is an example of something I looked at last weekend 2005 Foretravel U320 42now selling for $174,500.http://motorhomesoftexas.com/coachrv/foretravel/2005--u320--42--C2086The new replacement cost for this coach would be over $875,000. I am glad someone bought it new. Bill

Yes, you treat it as your own for the delivery time which could be a week or more. They want you to try everything and make sure it works. Something to think about, Huh!

Hmmm... that's exactly opposite of what I've read elsewhere. The response to a similar question make it clear that the drivers were not to use the primary facilities and even had to sleep in a sleeping bag rather then the RV bed. Perhaps the difference being that there's more than one system for delivery of these things??

[EDIT]Quick search found:

Quote

Can I sleep in a Drive-Away unit?Yes. Many of the vehicles we ship will have a couch. We ask that you not disrupt the bedding area. Be prepared with a sleeping bag. A contractor will not be able to log sleeper berth time in any Drive-Away vehicle

Hmmm... that's exactly opposite of what I've read elsewhere. The response to a similar question make it clear that the drivers were not to use the primary facilities and even had to sleep in a sleeping bag rather then the RV bed. Perhaps the difference being that there's more than one system for delivery of these things??

We bought new, but would have willingly bought used if the right rig came along.

We have previously camped in tents, a pop-up, and two 24 foot travel trailers (both with no slides). All but the tents were bought used.

For the better part of three years, as we approached retirement, we researched motor homes. We (I) spent hours on line looking at floor plans, options, number and placement of slides, residential vs. short queen beds, water tank capacity, etc, etc, etc. We went and looked at dozens of Class C's and A's in our price range, both new and used. We narrowed it down to a couple units. We decided on the (only) model that had the all options we considered as "must haves". After about 6 months searching, we were unable to find a reasonably priced unit with all the options we wanted, so we ordered one new and brought it home last month. Absolutely no regrets. We figure this will be our one and only motorhome, might as well get what we wanted.

Logged

Chris & Randy, and co-pilot (mutt) Chara

If we burn our wings flying too close to the sun, then the moment of glory is over before it's begun.

In my opinion, it depends on a number of factors. Our first coach was purchased new, ordered from a dealer a couple of hundred miles away. Bought new because the dealer offered a price the was close to a 2 year old used one. The warranty was worth the price difference.

Our second unit was purchased used from a local dealer. It had initially been purchased by someone who apparently didn't know what they wanted. There were 2 motorhomes sitting next to one another, same year, make. model, paint, equipped exactly the same. MSRP on the new unit was just over $200,000. "Sale price" for the new unit was about $175K. The used unit had about 10 months left on the factory warranty and had less than 3,000 miles on it. We bought it for $120K.

In my opinion, it depends on a number of factors. Our first coach was purchased new, ordered from a dealer a couple of hundred miles away. Bought new because the dealer offered a price the was close to a 2 year old used one. The warranty was worth the price difference.

Our second unit was purchased used from a local dealer. It had initially been purchased by someone who apparently didn't know what they wanted. There were 2 motorhomes sitting next to one another, same year, make. model, paint, equipped exactly the same. MSRP on the new unit was just over $200,000. "Sale price" for the new unit was about $175K. The used unit had about 10 months left on the factory warranty and had less than 3,000 miles on it. We bought it for $120K.

So, it depends on what you can find...

This is very similar to our situation. We knew the exact model we wanted and found it 2,000 miles away in AZ.The original owner had a spot he planned to keep it at permanently and realized a 5W was better for him.Two year old MH with 3,000 miles on it. The paperwork showed he paid 214,000 for it. I have no idea what he got for trade in, but we bought it for 132,500. Unfortunately for him, he took a bloodbath on it. As you say, It depends on what you can find.